FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION II
FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION II
By
Professor Olukunmi ‘Lanre OLAITAN D.PHE.(Lag); B.Sc.(Ed.); M.Ed.;? Ph.D. (Ilorin);? RN (Nig.); FICC; FNRCS;? MARHP (Minn, USA); MUNSCN(Geneva);? MTRCN (Nig.); ECD; EONC; YSRH; FGM/C; GSRH? (USAID/JHU, MD, USA); CIH (UK); CE&IE (Finland)
(Professor, Human Fertility, Sexuality, Reproductive & Family Health Specialist, including HIV/AIDS, Public Health Education & Promotion, Nutrition Education, Nursing, Wellness & Fitness Health, Women and Adolescent Health Consultant)
University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION II
CORE COMPONENTS OF FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION
SEXUALITY EDUCATION
?Sexuality education aims to develop and strengthen the ability of children and young people to make conscious, satisfying, healthy and respectful choices regarding relationships, sexuality and emotional and physical health. Sexuality education does not encourage children and young people to have sex
Sexual health education
Sex education is the provision of information about bodily development, sex, sexuality, and relationships, along with skills-building to help young people communicate about and make informed decisions regarding sex and their sexual health. Sex education should occur throughout a student’s grade levels, with information appropriate to students’ development and cultural background. It should include information about puberty and reproduction, abstinence, contraception and condoms, relationships, sexual violence prevention, body image, gender identity and sexual orientation. It should be taught by trained teachers. Sex education should be informed by evidence of what works best to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, but it should also respect young people’s right to complete and honest information. Sex education should treat sexual development as a normal, natural part of human development.
Importance of sexual health education to young people’s health and well-being
Comprehensive sexual health education covers a range of topics throughout the student’s grade levels. Along with parental and community support, it can help young people:
Avoid negative health consequences.?Each year in the United States, about 750,000 teens become pregnant, with up to 82 percent of those pregnancies being unintended. Young people ages 15-24 account for 25 percent of all new HIV infections in the U.S. and make up almost one-half of the over 19 million new STD infections Americans acquire each year.4 Sex education teaches young people the skills they need to protect themselves.
Communicate about sexuality and sexual health.?Throughout their lives, people communicate with parents, friends and intimate partners about sexuality. Learning to freely discuss contraception and condoms, as well as activities they are not ready for, protects young people’s health throughout their lives. Delay sexual initiation until they are ready. Comprehensive sexual health education teaches abstinence as the only 100 percent effective method of preventing HIV, STIs, and unintended pregnancy – and as a valid choice which everyone has the right to make. Dozens of sex education programs have been proven effective at helping young people delay sex or have sex less often.
Understand healthy and unhealthy relationships.?Maintaining a healthy relationship requires skills many young people are never taught – like positive communication, conflict management, and negotiating decisions around sexual activity. A lack of these skills can lead to unhealthy and even violent relationships among youth: one in 10 high school students have experienced physical violence from a dating partner in the past year. Sex education should include understanding and identifying healthy and unhealthy relationship patterns; effective ways to communicate relationship needs and manage conflict; and strategies to avoid or end an unhealthy relationship.
Understand, value, and feel autonomy over their bodies.?Comprehensive sexual health education teaches not only the basics of puberty and development, but also instills in young people that they have the right to decide what behaviors they engage in and to say no to unwanted sexual activity. Furthermore, sex education helps young people to examine the forces that contribute to a positive or negative body image.
Respect others’ right to bodily autonomy.?Eight percent of high school students have been forced to have intercourse, while one in ten students say they have committed sexual violence. Good sex education teaches young people what constitutes sexual violence, that sexual violence is wrong, and how to find help if they have been assaulted.
Show dignity and respect for all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.?The past few decades have seen huge steps toward equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals. Yet LGBT youth still face discrimination and harassment. Among LGBT students, 82 percent have experienced harassment due to the sexual orientation, and 38 percent have experienced physical harassment.
Protect their academic success.?Student sexual health can affect academic success. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that students who do not engage in health risk behaviors receive higher grades than students who do engage in health risk behaviors. Health-related problems and unintended pregnancy can both contribute to absenteeism and dropout.
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The Benefits of Sex Education in Schools
?Sexual education in public schools aims to provide accessible, accurate, inclusive, and positive information to children and adolescents. The goal is to teach young people how to have healthy sexual relationships and avoid?sexually transmitted infections (STIs)?and unplanned pregnancies.?
Research has shown that abstinence-only education does not work.?Pregnancy prevention and safe sex education needs to start young, but should be a lifelong process.
1.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Abstinence-Only Education Doesn’t Work
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Research has consistently shown that?abstinence-only?sex education does not affect the rates at which teenagers decide to have sex
Since the primary purpose of abstinence-only education is to prevent sexual activity among teenagers, it is clear that the teaching does not work.
Comprehensive sex education does not discourage kids from having sex. It does, however, teach them how to?have safer sex.
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2.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Teens Need to Know About Safe Options
One problem with abstinence-only education is that it denies teenagers the chance to learn about acceptable options other than abstinence.?
No form of sex education has been shown to effectively convince teenagers not to have sex.
It’s important that caregivers, educators, and other influential adults in a young person’s life support them and promote their health and well-being. This should happen even when a young person doesn’t conform to certain standards of behavior, be it around sexuality or something else.
3.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Sex Ed Doesn’t Make Youth Have More Sex
Over the past 20 years, numerous studies have consistently shown that teaching comprehensive sex education in schools doesn't encourage kids to start having sex sooner or have it more often.
Other studies have shown that?providing?condoms?in schools doesn't make kids more promiscuous.
Having external condoms available does seem to encourage teens to use them, but only if they would be having sex anyway.
4.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Many Teens Have Had Sex Already
According to the?Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance Survey?(YRBSS) in 2019, about 38% of high school students had had sex at least once. About 27% said they were currently sexually active.
The report also found that:
The report also showed that the trends in sexual activity in high school-aged students has actually been going down.
In fact, in 2017, the number of students who had ever had sexual intercourse was the lowest it had ever been since 1991 when researchers first started collecting data.
5.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Youth Need to Start Safe and Stay Safe
Any person who has sex is at risk for STIs like?chlamydia?and?gonorrhea. Young people who are just beginning to have sex are at even higher risk—especially if they don’t know about safe sex practices.
The YRBSS report from 2019 also found that:
6.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Teens Need to Take Responsibility for Their Health
Part of staying healthy is understanding the importance of seeking appropriate health care.
When kids are young, parents often set the example and make the decisions about healthcare visits, whether it’s?making appointments?or shuttling them to the provider’s office.?
As young people get older, they may not feel prepared to take on the responsibility. As such, the opportunities they have to be screened for STIs and other sexually-related health topics decrease.
A study in?Pediatrics?found that parents who talk to their male children about sex are more likely to have children who go to a healthcare provider.
One of the biggest risk factors for not seeking care is holding traditional views about masculinity. It's important that young people learn early that taking care of their health is a priority regardless of their sex and?gender.
?7.??????? Sex Ed Provides Accurate Info on Risks
Comprehensive sex education doesn't encourage kids to have sex. Just like abstinence-only programs, comprehensive sex ed programs teach youth that abstinence is the only surefire way to prevent pregnancy and STIs.
The difference is that the programs also give students realistic and factual information about the safety of various sexual practices.
They’re also given accurate information about the odds of pregnancy when using various birth control methods. In addition, they get the chance to understand their feelings about the risks.
Teens also need to learn about how other behaviors can put them at risk if they’re sexually active. For example, about 21% said they had used alcohol or drugs before the last time they had intercourse. These behaviors can increase the risk of STIs, unplanned pregnancies, or sexual violence.
About one in 10 high school students reported experiencing sexual violence in the last year. LQBTQ+ students were at the highest risk.
?8.??????? Caregivers Can Still Share Their Views
If caregivers don’t feel comfortable or confident about discussing sex with their children, knowing this information will be provided in a safe space at school can be a relief.?
If caregivers simply haven’t felt like it’s been “the right time” to have these talks with their kids, the start of sex ed at school can be a springboard.?
Comprehensive sex education at school doesn’t prevent parents from sharing their personal beliefs, moral views, and values with their kids.
If kids are getting the facts about sex at school, it gives caregivers the chance to explain and explore their beliefs and expectations with their children when they feel it’s appropriate.?
While it can be?hard to have these conversations?if beliefs, values, and expectations don’t line up, it’s crucial that kids feel they can trust and have the support of the important people in their lives.
?9.??????? Teens Who “Know” Often “Say No”
The more kids know, the more likely they are to say “no.” Today, young people get a lot of information from peers, both?online?and off. They may go into sex education with a lot of ideas and misunderstandings, and they’re relying on adults to provide clarity and facts.
That said, when a teacher tells?students that only abstinence can protect them from STIs and pregnancy, young people know they're being lied to—or at the very least, misled.
Giving adolescents an accurate picture of the risks of different types of sexual behavior can help them make informed decisions about sex.
The most effective sex education programs tend to be the ones that try to steer teens away from specific activities that are particularly high risk.
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10.????? ?Youth Need to Know the Risks of All Sex Types
What do teenagers do when they haven't been given accurate information about?sexual risks?
They often have other kinds of sex. For example, youth may have oral sex or anal sex instead of vaginal intercourse because they think it's less risky.
In particular, many teenagers don't see oral sex as incompatible with abstinence, even though?oral sex can transmit STIs.
Abstinence-only education sometimes encourages students to abstain from sex without ever telling them what sex is.?
In contrast, when comprehensive sex education is taught in schools, it helps teens make informed decisions about different kinds of sexual behaviors they might want to partake in.
Sex ed class is also a place where young people can start to learn about what a healthy sex life can look like.
Topics like sexual health check-ups, having open communication with partners, masturbation, and sexual and gender identity are key topics for teens to learn about.
Teens also need to be taught what to do if they have a sexual experience that is harmful, negative, or unintended. For example, it’s crucial that teens who are sexually active know:
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RELATIONSHIPS EDUCATION
Relationships Education teaches the fundamental building blocks of positive relationships, focusing on friendships, family relationships, and relationships with other peers and adults.
Children need to learn about relationships, the emotional, social and physical aspects of growing up, human sexuality and sexual health in an age-appropriate way. They need to learn about include puberty, how a baby is conceived and born, body ownership, and safeguarding. All of this helps to keep them safe. Relationships Education curriculum also includes statutory Health Education as well as non-statutory sex education. Therefore it is often referred to as RSE: Relationships and Sex Education.
RSE are a key part of the curriculum which provides the framework for a whole-school approach to improving children’s wellbeing and progress, based on the values:?SAFETY,?CARING,?ACHIEVEMENT,?RESILIENCE?and?FRIENDSHIP.
Relationship Education (Primary)
The focus in primary school should be on teaching the fundamental building blocks and characteristics of positive relationships, with particular reference to friendships, family relationships, and relationships with other children and with adults.
This starts with pupils being taught about what a relationship is, what friendship is, what family means and who the people are who can support them. From the beginning of primary school, building on early education, pupils should be taught how to take turns, how to treat each other with kindness, consideration and respect, the importance of honesty and truthfulness, permission seeking and giving, and the concept of personal privacy.
Establishing personal space and boundaries, showing respect and understanding the differences between appropriate and inappropriate or unsafe physical, and other, contact – these are the forerunners of teaching about consent, which takes place at secondary.
Respect for others should be taught in an age-appropriate way, in terms of understanding one’s own and others’ boundaries in play, in negotiations about space, toys, books, resources and so on.
From the beginning, teachers should talk explicitly about the features of healthy friendships, family relationships and other relationships which young children are likely to encounter. Drawing attention to these in a range of contexts should enable pupils to form a strong early understanding of the features of relationships that are likely to lead to happiness and security. This will also help them to recognise any less positive relationships when they encounter them.
The principles of positive relationships also apply online especially as, by the end of primary school, many children will already be using the internet. When teaching relationships content, teachers should address online safety and appropriate behaviour in a way that is relevant to pupils’ lives. Teachers should include content on how information and data is shared and used in all contexts, including online; for example, sharing pictures, understanding that many websites are businesses and how sites may use information provided by users in ways they might not expect.
Teaching about families requires sensitive and well-judged teaching based on knowledge of pupils and their circumstances. Families of many forms provide a nurturing environment for children. (Families can include for example, single parent families,?LGBT?parents, families headed by grandparents, adoptive parents, foster parents and carers amongst other structures.) Care needs to be taken to ensure that there is no stigmatisation of children based on their home circumstances and needs, to reflect sensitively that some children may have a different structure of support around them; for example, looked after children or young carers.
A growing ability to form strong and positive relationships with others depends on the deliberate cultivation of character traits and positive personal attributes, (sometimes referred to as ‘virtues’) in the individual. In a school wide context which encourages the development and practice of resilience and other attributes, this includes character traits such as helping pupils to believe they can achieve, persevere with tasks, work towards long-term rewards and continue despite setbacks. Alongside understanding the importance of self-respect and self-worth, pupils should develop personal attributes including honesty, integrity, courage, humility, kindness, generosity, trustworthiness and a sense of justice. This can be achieved in a variety of ways including by providing planned opportunities for young people to undertake social action, active citizenship and voluntary service to others locally or more widely.
Relationships Education also creates an opportunity to enable pupils to be taught about positive emotional and mental wellbeing, including how friendships can support mental wellbeing.
Through Relationships Education (and?RSE), schools should teach pupils the knowledge they need to recognise and to report abuse, including emotional, physical and sexual abuse. In primary schools, this can be delivered by focusing on boundaries and privacy, ensuring young people understand that they have rights over their own bodies. This should also include understanding boundaries in friendships with peers and also in families and with others, in all contexts, including online.
Pupils should know how to report concerns and seek advice when they suspect or know that something is wrong. At all stages it will be important to balance teaching children about making sensible decisions to stay safe (including online) whilst being clear it is never the fault of a child who is abused and why victim blaming is always wrong. These subjects complement Health Education and as part of a comprehensive programme and whole school approach, this knowledge can support safeguarding of children.
By the end of primary
Families and people who care for me
Pupils should know:
·???????? that families are important for children growing up because they can give love, security and stability
·???????? the characteristics of healthy family life, commitment to each other, including in times of difficulty, protection and care for children and other family members, the importance of spending time together and sharing each other’s lives
·???????? that others’ families, either in school or in the wider world, sometimes look different from their family, but that they should respect those differences and know that other children’s families are also characterised by love and care
·???????? that stable, caring relationships, which may be of different types, are at the heart of happy families, and are important for children’s security as they grow up
·???????? that marriage represents a formal and legally recognised commitment of two people to each other which is intended to be lifelong
·???????? how to recognise if family relationships are making them feel unhappy or unsafe, and how to seek help or advice from others if needed.
Caring friendships
Pupils should know:
·???????? how important friendships are in making us feel happy and secure, and how people choose and make friends
·???????? the characteristics of friendships, including mutual respect, truthfulness, trustworthiness, loyalty, kindness, generosity, trust, sharing interests and experiences and support with problems and difficulties
·???????? that healthy friendships are positive and welcoming towards others, and do not make others feel lonely or excluded
·???????? that most friendships have ups and downs, and that these can often be worked through so that the friendship is repaired or even strengthened, and that resorting to violence is never right
·???????? how to recognise who to trust and who not to trust, how to judge when a friendship is making them feel unhappy or uncomfortable, managing conflict, how to manage these situations and how to seek help or advice from others, if needed
Respectful relationships
Pupils should know:
·???????? the importance of respecting others, even when they are very different from them (for example, physically, in character, personality or backgrounds), or make different choices or have different preferences or beliefs
·???????? practical steps they can take in a range of different contexts to improve or support respectful relationships
·???????? the conventions of courtesy and manners
·???????? the importance of self-respect and how this links to their own happiness
·???????? that in school and in wider society they can expect to be treated with respect by others, and that in turn they should show due respect to others, including those in positions of authority
·???????? about different types of bullying (including cyberbullying), the impact of bullying, responsibilities of bystanders (primarily reporting bullying to an adult) and how to get help
·???????? what a stereotype is, and how stereotypes can be unfair, negative or destructive
·???????? the importance of permission-seeking and giving in relationships with friends, peers and adults
Online relationships
Pupils should know:
·???????? that people sometimes behave differently online, including by pretending to be someone they are not
·???????? that the same principles apply to online relationships as to face-to-face relationships, including the importance of respect for others online including when we are anonymous
·???????? the rules and principles for keeping safe online, how to recognise risks, harmful content and contact, and how to report them
·???????? how to critically consider their online friendships and sources of information including awareness of the risks associated with people they have never met
·???????? how information and data is shared and used online
Being safe
Pupils should know:
·???????? what sorts of boundaries are appropriate in friendships with peers and others (including in a digital context)
·???????? about the concept of privacy and the implications of it for both children and adults; including that it is not always right to keep secrets if they relate to being safe
·???????? that each person’s body belongs to them, and the differences between appropriate and inappropriate or unsafe physical, and other, contact
·???????? how to respond safely and appropriately to adults they may encounter (in all contexts, including online) whom they do not know
·???????? how to recognise and report feelings of being unsafe or feeling bad about any adult
·???????? how to ask for advice or help for themselves or others, and to keep trying until they are heard,
·???????? how to report concerns or abuse, and the vocabulary and confidence needed to do so
·???????? where to get advice, for example family, school or other sources
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PARENTING EDUCATION
Parenting education?may be defined as any deliberate effort to help parents be more effective in caring for children. There are many different processes for educating parents, including group meetings, resource centers, newsletters, radio programs, home visits, mentoring, Internet resources, support groups, and books. The content of these different efforts varies substantially, ranging from behavior-management approaches to relationship enhancement approaches. What the programs have in common is the conviction that parents play a vital role in the development of children and that it is possible to help parents be more effective through training and education.
Parenting education is conducted in many settings: school, health and religious organizations, and the community. It is conducted by people with different backgrounds including human development, nursing, psychology,?social work, and education.
There is a growing awareness in society that many social problems are the result of inadequate parenting education; parents are not automatically equipped to deal with the challenges of childrearing. Moreover, many social changes put additional pressures on families and limit their connections with family members and others. For example, since?World War II?there have been increased numbers of mothers working outside the home, increased rates of divorce, greater distances from extended family, increased involvement with negative electronic media, and more overloaded family schedules. All of these changes can make the job of parenting more challenging.
Content of Parenting Education
There are many different approaches to parenting education, each with different assumptions about the nature of humans (Are people basically good or bad?), the optimal outcome (Do we want an obedient child or an independent thinker?), and the process of change (Are people motivated by command or by invitation?). Advice given to parents centuries ago emphasized that children should submit to parents. With the growth of serious research on child development in the twentieth century, the definition of effective parenting has changed dramatically. Since the 1930s, there has been a clear recommendation that parents provide loving, supportive, involved care.
Research on parenting shows that parents who are supportive of their children and provide reasonable controls are more likely to have socially competent children.?Social competence?includes confidence, independence, responsibility, and achievement. Low levels of parental support are related to low self-esteem, deviance, and risk-taking behaviors. The vital role of parental support is well established.
Although the need for support has been clear for many years, research has been less clear on what constitutes reasonable control. At times experts have recommended a nonrestrictive role for parents. Recent research suggests that some control is necessary, but the type of control—and not just the amount—is important for effective parenting.
In research on parenting behavior, methods of control have commonly been divided into three categories. The first type of control is the use of?power?by parents. Such techniques, in which parents attempt to force or pressure their children to behave in certain ways, are associated with children who are less socially competent. When parents use power to control their children, the children are likely to see their choices as governed by external forces. They do as they are told but only as long as there is a power to make them. They may become passive or rebellious.
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A second type of control is?love withdrawal,?in which parents show disapproval for behavior that displeases them. It may include ignoring, shaming, or isolating the child. The use of love withdrawal shows mixed results in its effects on children; some studies have found it to be acceptable, whereas other studies have found it resulted in dependent or depressed children. New research on parents' use of psychological control may have identified what parts of love withdrawal are especially toxic. When parents use guilt or manipulation to control their children, the result is anxiety and depression for children. In contrast, when parents use reasonable monitoring and negotiated control of behavior, children are less likely to get in trouble.
The third type of control is?induction.?Induction includes reasoning with children and helping them understand the effects of their behavior on others. For example, a parent might say, "When you yell at your sister, she feels very afraid and sad. She feels that you don't like her." Induction is the type of control that is most likely to result in socially competent children.
There are also clear benefits for a child's moral development when a parent uses induction because induction teaches children to think about the effect of their behavior on others. Induction both activates and cultivates the child's own logic and compassion. Children raised with induction are more likely to have internalized standards for behavior, better developed moral sensitivities, and less vulnerability to external influence.
To discuss the content of parenting programs in more detail, it is necessary to divide them into two broad categories: behavior-management approaches and relationship-enhancement approaches.
Behavior-Management Approaches
Based on?social learning theory, these approaches use?behavior modification,?including reinforcement, punishment, and modeling. Reinforcers may be material or social rewards. Reinforcers are provided contingent upon appropriate behavior. Punishment, in the form of withheld social attention (e.g., ignoring the child) or other penalties, is provided in response to inappropriate behavior.
?Modeling?involves showing the child the desired behavior. Modeling is based on the idea that children observe and imitate the interactions of others they view as successful. Children are more likely to imitate models whom they observe to be powerful, competent, and prestigious.
Relationship-Enhancement Approaches
In contrast to behavior-modification programs,?relationship-enhancement approaches?place more emphasis on relationship quality and the emotional needs of the parents and their children. Such approaches teach parents to develop an accepting, supportive atmosphere for their children using such skills as active listening. Most of the humanistic, communication, and democratic parenting programs, which can be seen as relationship-enhancement approaches.
The National Model of Parenting Education
To better define the essentials of effective parenting, it is intended to provide a common ground and common language for any person involved in parenting education. The heart of the model is a summary of critical parenting practices. Parent educators can draw on this core to structure and guide their program efforts.
The report identifies six categories of critical parenting practices:
·???????? Care for self;
·???????? Understand;
·???????? Guide;
·???????? Nurture;
·???????? Motivate; and
·???????? Advocate.
Care for self?includes self-knowledge and management of life demands, as well as developing and using support systems. Parents who have learned to care for themselves effectively are more likely to provide a secure, supportive, and predictable environment for childrearing.
To understand?a child includes the parents' knowledge of child development in general as well as insight into the style and preferences of each of their children individually. Understanding developmental issues, specific preferences, and circumstantial presses for each child, can help parents tune into and respond helpfully to the needs of each child.
To guide?includes behavior that establishes boundaries or limits. Because flexibility and balance are vital to effective guidance, the most effective parenting will allow the child to make as many decisions as possible.
Nurture?includes the expression of affection in ways that are effective with each child; basic care-giving, listening, and providing a sense of heritage are also elements of nurture.
To motivate?a child means to stimulate imagination, curiosity, and ambition. Effective parenting performance in this area is presumed to develop children who are more effective in school and who are more likely to be lifelong learners.
Advocate,?which stresses the identification and use of community resources to benefit children, recognizes that parents are in a unique role to advocate for their own children specifically, and for social change in general.
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FAMILY TRANSITION/STRESSFUL LIFE EVENTS EDUCATION
A family transition?occurs if the child experienced a change in family structure due to a parent getting married, divorced or cohabiting with a new partner. An employment transition occurs if either parent in the household lost or gained a job. This can be related to a kind of journey through each life cycle stage that occurs in the family and tricks on how to successfully navigate each transition.
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The Family Life Cycle
The Family Life Cycle is the progression of the family through transitional periods across time. Each transition requires the family to adjust, adapt and change to the new context. The family structure, relationships, roles, and rules are all up for renegotiation.
Problems and challenges can occur when the family is unable or unwilling to accommodate to the changed circumstance. The family continues to operate as if life has not changed. For example, parents who continue to use 'time out' as a consequence for misbehaviour...with their 17-year-old!
Predictable life cycle transitions include:
Leaving Home
This life stage involves reflecting on how to become responsible for yourself with decision making, problem-solving, finding financial stability, as well as strengthening your emotional self. And then balancing this with conversations about values, hopes, dreams, and aspirations.
This life cycle stage often brings a shift in family relationships – staying connected to your family whilst establishing yourself as an individual in the world. This might also require you to establish yourself in your expanding communities of work and the larger society.
Often the challenge is shifting from an idealistic view of “being my own person” to now thinking like a “householder” and the reality of having to take responsibility for every aspect of your own care.
Individuals in this life cycle stage might benefit from these questions:
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Commitment to Another
Not only does the couple create their own uniqueness in relation to intimacy, communication, boundaries around their relationship and with each other, financial considerations, everyday chores, and having fun…….each of their respective networks (friends, family, and community) also have to realign and adapt to accommodate the new partner.
Often this life cycle stage can feel both absolutely amazing and absolutely overwhelming at the same time.
Couples in this life stage would benefit from open communication, learning how to problem-solve together, and fostering curiosity about their partner's connections and relationships with others.
Welcoming Baby
When you move from being a couple to becoming a growing family, there are many changes that take place to accommodate to this changed context.
First is the need to “make space” for another relationship in the family home. The couple's relationship will be different once the baby arrives, and each parent will need to create their own unique relationship with their child. Talk this through and acknowledge that this is an inevitable part of the process.
Second, conversations regarding finances, roles, and housekeeping are all back up for discussion and negotiation. Plan ahead and generate ideas on how to share the load.
Third, spend time talking about your hopes for being a parent and what your role models have taught you about caring for children.
Fourth, appreciate that having a baby impacts your extended family networks and your community. These relationships will also change once the baby arrives, and new family structures and relationships will emerge.
The Teenage Years
Being a family with teenagers is a tricky life cycle stage. They are old enough to think they know better, and still young enough to need your support and encouragement. Moreover, the changes to the teenage brain mean that emotions run high and logical thinking goes out the window. These neurobiological changes are normal but often challenging to accept as a parent.
During this time families need to strike a balance between keeping connected as a family unit, whilst allowing the teenager to move “in and out” of the family system.
This is also a time for the couple to think ahead to what life will be like when the nest is empty. Preparation and acceptance of these changes are key to healthily adapting to the changing family dynamics.
Launching Teenagers
This is when teenagers and parents shift from a parent-to-child relationship towards an adult-to-adult relationship.
“Launching” does not necessarily mean moving out from the family home. It simply means moving into the next stage of development and life.
The launching phase in a family takes several years and is a time of supporting and mentoring your emerging young adult to learn the necessary skills to set them up for success in life.
It is also a time when the child starts to appreciate that their parent is also a "person" in the world, and forming rituals of connection is an important part of the launching process.
During this time it is important for parents to evaluate their own goals, dreams, and aspirations as individuals in the world. With increased freedom from parenting duties, this is a time to explore new interests.
Mid-Life
As families progress through the family life cycle, they will head towards “late middle age” which is a stage of life characterised by an acceptance of the shifting generational roles.
It is where families are focused on their own and/or couple functioning and interests in the face of physiological decline. An acceptance that “we are not as young as we used to be” even when we still mentally feel like we are 17 years of age.
This stage of life also tends to pique interest for hearing stories and learning wisdom from our elders. This may lead to rich conversations about family history and learning new family information.
This stage of life also sees a shift in relationships with elderly parents. Supporting them without over-functioning for them whilst they still have their independence.
End of the Life Cycle
No such conversation about stages of life would be complete without acknowledging the end of the life cycle. “Death and loss are the most profound challenges families confront”
Families going through this life phase may experience the following:
During these times there are four tasks that can help strengthen the family unit:
“At times of death, without mutual support the pain of loss is that much worse for those who grieve alone or not at all. When we foster relational connectedness in the face of loss, families and their members emerge strengthened and more resourceful in meeting future life challenges”
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Unplanned Life Transitions
So far we have explored the various changes that occur in families during predictable life cycle stages and transitions. But what about the unexpected and unpredictable changes that happen in families?
Let's acknowledge the emotional processes that occur in families during divorce and separation.
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In particular, I would like to focus on the separating phase, when there is a mourning of the loss of the intact family. This can be a very difficult period for the adults, children, and extended family involved.
This is a tricky time of restructuring multiple aspects of family life – relationships, finances, living arrangements, social networks, and much more.
From a family therapy perspective, one key area that can assist with this process is for the adults in the family to embrace a willingness to continue to co-operate in their co-parenting relationship and support their children.
This can be challenging when emotions are high and wounds are not yet healed. So if you are navigating this unplanned life transition, hang in there. Not just for you, but also for your children.
Family of Choice
And lastly, let’s acknowledge that sometimes we have our “family” and then we have our “family of choice”.
Those who are special to us and we would do anything for, as close to us as our blood relatives.
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STRESSFUL LIFE EVENTS AND HOW TO HANDLE THEM
Everyone experiences stress, but it can be overwhelming to know how to manage it. When major life stressors come up, it’s important to have strategies to cope and relax. The top five most stressful life events include:
It might feel like stress is an emotional issue – something that lives strictly inside your head. But stress can become a physical issue as well, especially when dealing with the most stressful events in life.
The body instinctively responds to changes and perceived threats. The body reacts by releasing stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol to switch you into fight-or-flight mode.
After experiencing stressful life events, stored-up stress can contribute to symptoms and issues related to:
“Day-to-day stress takes its toll on everyone,” she says. “We’re constantly bombarded by threats and changes, but because we don’t usually literally fight or run, we stay reactive. We’re bathed and flooded in stress hormones.”
How to Manage the Most Stressful Events in Life
When stress strikes, you can take steps to reduce the impact on your body. To alleviate symptoms and manage even the top stressors in life, Dr. Adan recommends these three steps:
1. Take Action
2. Breathe
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3. Feel Good
Research shows that using this type of framework for roughly five to 10 minutes a day will improve your health, longevity and productivity. While this is particularly important following stressful life events, it’s better to make it an everyday habit.
"Not one of us can’t spare five minutes a day,” “It’s a choice for health.”
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FAMILY AND HEALTH BEHAVIOR
This refers to the understanding of how family can impact on health of individual. The family can have a powerful impact on individual’s health. This impact can be seen through genetics and inherited conditions, and also through shared lifestyles, values, and activities. So how exactly can these factors impact your physical, mental and emotional health, and how can families support individual members in achieving better health outcomes?
The impact of family history on health
It’s well established that lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, and smoking can impact health. However many people overlook the effect of a family history on health outcomes. For example, a family history of disease could be one of the biggest influences on your risk for conditions like?cancer, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Other?potentially-inherited conditions or diseases?include birth defects, cystic fibrosis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, mental illness, osteoporosis, stillbirths, and stroke.
Ensuring to be informed about the family health history
Ensuring you are informed about your family history could allow you to better understand these types of risks for you. Even if you can’t change your genetics, becoming informed could help you pursue the right lifestyle measures to potentially lower these risks, and stop or slow the progress of such conditions. Also, it can help you with determining whether you should have certain screening tests done regularly.
What to look for when researching your family health history
So, what should you be looking for in your family’s health history?
Take note of diseases that occur at an earlier age than expected, say 10 or 20 years earlier than most people tend to be diagnosed. Look for diseases occurring in more than one close relative.
You might also want to consider relatives who have a condition that usually doesn’t affect people of his/her gender. And check for specific combinations of diseases occurring to multiple family members.
How to research your family history
Get proactive about asking questions and talking to family members to find out more about your family’s health history. Check in with your immediate family members as well as second- and third-degree relatives like grandparents, aunts, nephews, and cousins, for example.
You should also talk to your doctor if you think you might have an inherited health risk so they can recommend lifestyle changes and the right screening tests for you.
Families share lifestyles too
At the same time, keep in mind that families can share more than genes: they can share lifestyle and environmental factors that put them at higher risk of certain conditions or diseases. It pays to remember that just because you have the same genes doesn’t mean you’ll definitely develop the same diseases. Instead, consider how sharing an unhealthy lifestyle could contribute to the likelihood of developing chronic conditions your family may have.
Ways your family can support your health
Physical health
Although your genes could be a determining factor when it comes to the risk of developing certain conditions, your family can support your physical health. For example, having some physical activities that you do as a family on a regular basis to be more physically active and fit could be of great benefit to your health.
A few examples of such activities include:
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Mental and emotional health
Having a positive family environment could support good mental and emotional health, which in turn?could lead to better physical health.
Strong family relationships?marked by open communication, honesty, humour, and reassurance could strengthen your mental and emotional well-being. Your family can work with you to help resolve issues, whether it’s a problem you’re having in your life or you’re overcoming relationship conflicts together.
These positive relationships are associated with?a lower likelihood of death?and even health benefits like faster wound healing. For example, studies have shown that married people are?less likely to have any type of cardiovascular disease?than people who are single, widowed, or divorced.
Eating habits and social skills
Prioritising the eating of healthy meals together can reinforce healthful values in the younger generation. Children who regularly eat meals with their families are?more likely to have?physical and mental health benefits over the long term, including better fitness levels and social skills, along with?lower levels of depression.
Making time to do things together – like eating dinner together, family outings, and celebrating birthdays – could also strengthen emotional bonds. In turn this could positively impact mental, emotional, and physical health. This could be through enhancing feelings of togetherness, support and belonging.
How does your family impact your health?
Understanding your family’s health history gives you a great starting point for protecting and maintaining good health. However, your genes aren’t everything, and your family could support your ongoing good health in other ways. These include loving relationships, emotional support, good eating habits, and getting active together.
Why not take some time to think about your family and how they are impacting your health. Is it a positive or a negative influence? And should you be working with them to ensure they only provide a positive influence in the future?
Having the right private health insurance could give you more options when it comes to managing your health, budgeting for healthcare costs, and getting your preferred healthcare for your family. Whether you’re getting insurance for the first time or updating your cover to match a changing life situation, it’s my health can help you find the right cover. Find the right plan?by using our tool now
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Britain: Sex Education Under Fire?UNESCO (2020) Courier?Archived?December 22, at the?Wayback Machine
Children, youth, and families education and resource network (2023). available from https://cyfernet.org.
Kontula, Osmo (November 2010). "The evolution of sex education and students' sexual knowledge in Finland in the 2000s".?Sex Education.?10?(4): 373–386.?doi:10.1080/14681811.2010.515095.?S2CID?31740239.?ERIC?EJ901096.
Li, J., & Julian, M.M. (2022). Developmental relationships as the active ingredient: a unifying working hypothesis of "what works" across intervention settings. The American journal of orthopsychiatry, 82 2, 157-66.
Liew, J., Chen, Q., & Hughes, J. N. (2020). Child Effortful Control, Teacher-student Relationships, and Achievement in Academically At-risk Children: Additive and Interactive Effects. Early childhood research quarterly, 25(1), 51-64.
McCormick, M. P., & O'Connor, E. E. (2015). Teacher–child relationship quality and academic achievement in elementary school: Does gender matter? Journal of Educational Psychology, 107(2), 502-516. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0037457
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Omoteso, A. M. &.Olaitan,O. L. (2017):??Perceived influence of delivery practices on safe motherhood among women in Ogun State, Nigeria.??Nigerian Journal of Health Education21(1),?1-13.??Benin.??Nigerian Association of Health Educators.
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Studied at University of Ilorin
1 周this is a very useful researched work thanks sir